u/Naive-Incident6612

My wife just gave me this for my birthday. I’m overjoyed! Anyone else have a copy?

I recently acquired a watch I’ve coveted for a while now, the Master Hometime ref Q1628120. I really wanted one with a bracelet and found it — but without box and papers. I’m pretty sure JLC manufactured this reference from 2004 to 2014 before switching to the symmetrical design. I reached out to the company to find out what year mine is. The serial number is in the 3.37 million range and there is a unique number on the caseback (as you can see from the photo): 4889. Unfortunately, no one I spoke with at either the JLC US office or through my AD has a way to find out the year and the watch isn’t old enough to order an Extract from the Archive. I’m hoping some fellow watch nerd more knowledgeable than me has an idea about this, or at least who to talk to to find out.

One thing I do know is that JLC stopped issuing serial numbers sequentially decades ago (around #1.7 million) and no one seems to know how the company now issues serial numbers.

JLC community, y’all are so smart. Help!

This just arrived. I had to sell about 5 watches to pay for it, but man, I’m over the moon. I travel for work and find a 24-hour GMT to be confounding. This puppy tells me what time it is at home and whether it’s day or night at home on a 12 hour scale via a hidden heat blued hour hand that keeps the home time. Hence the name of the watch. This is the first iteration of the Master Hometime. I love it’s asymmetrical dial and the day/night complication (really a dumbed down 24-hour clock, but IMO easier to read and prettier). I travel tomorrow and it’s coming with me. Yippee!

It’s been a minute since I last wore this. Forgot just how much I love it.

I own about 15 watches valued between USD $120 and $12500. Right now I seem to be alternating between two of them, my least expensive, a Sugess 40mm 1963 with the Sea-Gull manual wind with gooseneck adjuster (which I bought with points = in my mind, free) and my most, a 2021 Glashütte Original Seventies Chronograph, individually numbered 1303, which I bought for a lot, lot more. Been trying to figure out why these two and it comes down to the fact that I think the design, engineering, and finish on each of these is just miraculous for the money. Both watch companies (Sea-Gull and GO) have really interesting histories. And both watches put a giant grin on my face every time I look at my wrist.

What’s your favorite watch that you own and why?

I was a bit curious about this when I realized that my 2021 blue chronograph’s case number was actually chronological. I think they stopped doing this in 2022 or so when they switched the font on the brand name on the caseback and traded the dart indices for batons with lumen. Anyway, mine, as you can see, is no. 1303. Figuring they probably make a round number of these each year, and calculating that production on the 70s Chonos started in 2014, it seems as if they make about 165 or 170 each year (including the year 2014, mine came out in the 8th year). There weren’t enough photos with visible numbering online for me to figure out if the case numbers were chronological by dial color or just in general. Please weigh in if you know. Regardless, these are still pretty rare.

Post a photo of yours below if you own one. I’d love to see how many people following this forum do. Maybe we can have a meetup! Haha!

Spinnaker Challenger

Bought this watch at live auction last week for a mindbogglingly low price. The auction house didn’t know what they had and I guess one person other than me did, but they backed off when it reached 1/3 of its value. I swiped to bid $100 over their bid, thinking that was my limit and then to my shock, it went once, twice, sold! to me! It’s actually way too blingy for me. I lean towards dress watches, but I might hold onto it for a week or two before flipping it because it’s running at about -7 seconds and really is so dang cool! This was my first win at an auction, so I’m in a bit of shock!

Bought this watch earlier this summer and just can’t get enough of it.

I keep forgetting to look at the moon phase on this baby when it’s a full moon. Finally remembered today!

L-R (top) Jaeger Lecoultre Master Control Date, Glashutte Original Seventies Chronograph, Shellman Grand Complication (perpetual calendar, chronograph, moonphase, minute repeater, all in a quartz watch), 1967 Jaeger LeCoultre E855 Memovox, (bottom) Omega Constellation c-shape case 168.019 with original 1040 brick bracelet (birth year watch, gift from my wife), Spinnaker Challenger, Seiko Presage “Ocean Traveler” SARF011 (JDM), Beaucroft “The Arc” (serial number 006). I’m about a year in. How am I doing?

I’ve been literally dreaming about this watch. Negotiated a very good deal with a private seller last week when a sale through Chrono24 fell through for them. I can’t even believe it’s on my wrist. I took the day off in celebration!!